Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Battle of Franklin (part1)

Devastating

Could you imagine living in 1864, which was the year of the bloodiest battle?

Trying to imagine something like that, one would probably have a hard time doing it. Ponder it a while. As the hours passed on, generals and many weary and exhausted soldiers, continued fighting, clubbing, stabbing, choking, bayonetting, and shooting each other to save their own life. In the trenches, killed and wounded men sadly and traumatically filled them. It is as hard as a piece of stone to believe something like that actually took place. Many main people fought in the Battle of Franklin, but when and where did the battle of Franklin take place? Sadly, the Battle of Franklin took place in 1864 in Franklin Tennessee –hence the name. The aftermath was so great that many happy and joyful things happened after the battle. It is obvious the sight was devastating and overwhelming just to look at it.

Fighting

What was the battle of Franklin like?

Sadly, the battle of Franklin was the worst and ugliest battle ever fought in the American Civil War. The battle, which was fought cruelly and gruesomely, happened on November 30, 1864. Although it was a very short battle, it was a tremendously bloody battle. Fighting for their lives, many main people fought in the bloodiest war. Many people died as well. Who died though? As the battle raged on, the battlefield was the smallest and filthiest battlefield.

Franklin

was a very bloody battle. Many people fought and quarreled in the battle on November 1864. While the union outnumbered the confederates, the Confederate Army of Tennessee consisted of 20,085 infantry, and 5,000 cavalry.1 Included in the battle, several high-rankling men –major generals and people like that- fought in the battle of Franklin. Confederate major general Forrest also served on the confederate side, joyfully and cheerfully born July 13, 1821, sorrowfully died October 29, 1877. The union side entailed 22,000 infantry and 13,500 cavalry. Born September 29, 1831, Major general Schofield, who served on the union squad, died March 4, 1906. Union major general Stanley, whose birth took place on June 1, 1828 unfortunately, passed on March 13, 1902. Another union major general who served as a high-ranking soldier was born September 2, 1837; however, death suddenly and quickly struck him February 23, 1925. On November of 1864, many people took part in the battle of Franklin. It was a bloody battle. The war was very ugly. The battle was very short.

Franklin

continues to be known as the shortest and bloodiest battle fought. In spite of how long the battle lasted, which only lasted five hours, it is called the bloodiest hours of the American Civil War. Sam Watkins recalls and tells:

(Franklin is the blackest page in the history of the War of the Lost Cause. It was the bloodiest battle of modern times in any war. It was the finishing stroke to the Independence of the Southern Confederacy. I was there. I saw it.2

Called "The Gettysburg of the West," Franklin witnessed only a few nights in the many days of the Civil War. Sadly, the event happened on one of the smallest battlefields of the entire Civil War, which was only two miles long and one and one half miles wide. The battlefield is dreadfully diminutive. The battle was relatively brief. It was the bloodiest battle. The Union included two armies: 23rd Corp3 commanded by Jacob Cox and fourth Corps4 commanded by David Stanley. The Confederates consisted of 9,700 men from S.D. Lee’s Corps, 9,300 men from Frank Cheatham’s Corps, and 8,000 from A.P. Stewart’s Corps. Obviously, the union outnumbered the confederates. Franklin is known as the bloodiest battle of the war.

In the Battle of Franklin, many people risked their lives. Alas, as many as six Generals ended up being killed. The killed generals unfortunately included the following: John Carter, John Adams, Hiram Granbury, States Rights Gist, and Otho Strahl. There were many killed. Wounded, the generals consist of the following: John Brown, Francis Cockrell, Zachariah Deas, Arthur Manigault, Thomas Scott, and Jacob Sharp. Captured, George Gordon was one of the generals lost. 55 regimental commanders became casualties –a military person lost through death, wounds, injury, sickness, internment, or capture of through being missing in action. Sadly, the Union, who outnumbered the confederates, lost 189 people, and ended up with 1,033 wounded, and 1,104 missing.5 As many people fought and quarreled, they willingly and bravely risked their lives in the battle of Franklin.

Many key leaders and soldiers, who fought and died during the Battle of Franklin, left diaries, and letters depicting the gruesome fight. On the confederates side, there consisted of 20,085 infantry soldiers and 5,000 cavalry soldiers. The union greatly outnumbered the confederates with 22,000 infantry and 13,500 cavalry. The fighting and quarrelling led to many main people who died. Truly many main people sadly and tragically died while fighting in the battle of Franklin, which was the bloodiest and ugliest war because so many died in such a short time.